'They are my main guards.'

'It was more of a risk for Truth to do it. He's not as powerful as you are,' I said.

'I am the king. That makes me powerful enough to have cured the officer, but it also means that I would have been tempted to drain power from local vampires if it went badly. I would not have allowed myself to rot to death for a stranger if I had the energy available to me to live. If I drain the life from wee vampires the first time I visit another master's territory without asking his permission first, my reputation will be set like the old European council's. I will be a monster and I do not want that.'

'Is it that dangerous to feed on this corruption, even for you?' I asked.

'You witnessed Damian rotting from helping Asher drain corruption from Nathaniel. If you had not been there as his master to offer him clean and powerful blood, Damian would have died beyond all hope of healing, or recovery.'

'But Asher had no problem doing it, and he wasn't as powerful then as he is now, and certainly not as powerful as you are.'

'Honestly, ma petite, I would not risk all that I am and all that I have for a stranger.'

I tried to turn again, and this time he moved so I could. 'You wouldn't risk it for Micah's dad?'

'I might have, but he is beyond such cures. No vampire can cleanse his blood now. It is too widespread in his body.' He moved to the other side and started to patiently fuss with my hair.

I wanted to tell him to stop, but then I had another thought. 'Edward mentioned that the media were calling it a zombie apocalypse, and I made international news footage.'

'Oui,' he said, winding a curl around his finger and not really looking at me.

'Are we going to have to go through reporters to make the hotel? Is that why you're fussing with my hair?' I asked.

'The police are keeping them well back on behalf of Micah's family.' He placed the curl among all the rest and began to work on that one problem area in the back of my hair that almost every person with long curly hair seemed to have.

'I thought we might have to talk to the press.'

'There is some talk of a conference tomorrow, but not tonight.'

'Then why are you fussing this much with my hair?'

He hesitated and then continued to do each individual curl on the back of my head so it would curl and lie just so. 'It gives me something to do with my hands while I think.'

'So you are nervous?'

'Oui,' he said, softly.

I frowned, couldn't help it. 'Are you having second thoughts about the proposal?'

He looked at me then, face showing astonishment. 'Mon Dieu, no, no!' He hugged me, then moved back with his hands on my shoulders so we could see each other's faces. 'Ma petite, you have made me a very happy man by saying yes. Never doubt that I am ecstatic with our engagement and look forward to making a more formal presentation of it.'

I frowned harder. 'Formal? Why formal?'

'Because I am the vampire king of America, and kings do not become engaged quietly.'

'What does that even mean?'

'It means that once you, Micah, and whoever else we deem involved have worked out the organization of who is marrying whom, then we will announce what we all wish to announce, whatever that is.'

'Okay, that sounds very reasonable, so why are you nervous?'

'It seems silly,' he said. He drew back from me, running his hands down the lace on either side of the pearl buttons of his shirt. The lace was actually inlaid on either side of the button line trailing up to the collar, which was unbuttoned and lying loose over the black velvet jacket, which hit him just past the waist. The last time I'd seen the shirt, the collar had been high and buttoned all the way up his neck so that the soft, embroidered white-on-white lace framed the edge of his chin. He only wore the collar loose when he was at the end of his day and in private.

'Are you okay?' I asked.

He made a sharp, exasperated sound. 'I am over six hundred years old; you would think I would be past such silliness.'

'What silliness?' I asked.

'We need to gather our young men and retire to the hotel, but I am told that our chat has his family with him.'

Chat was French for cat, which meant Micah. Nathaniel was minet, kitten, or pussycat in French. 'So we go up and we see how his father is doing. It's hard, but ...'

He shook his head. 'It is not the sad fate of his father that leaves me so anxious.'

'Then what is it?' I asked.

'The introduction to Micah's family is troublesome.'

'Did he not introduce you?' I asked.

'I came straight to your side, so he has not had time to introduce me.'

'Then I am totally confused,' I said.

He sighed. 'I am being the girl, am I not?'

'If you mean confusing, yes.'

'I want to greet Micah, to comfort him, but I am not certain what he wishes me to do in front of his family. I am a vampire and male. I was told that they are very religious.'

I smiled. 'Some of them are, but his parents will be okay about the guy-guy part.' I explained the domestic arrangements of Micah's parents.

By the time I finished, Jean-Claude was laughing. 'Micah has agonized about being with Nathaniel and what his family would think, and all this time they have had their own menage-a-trois. It is too perfect.'

I nodded, smiling. 'They were cool about all the wereanimal stuff, so I think they'll be okay with vampires.'

'So they have welcomed both you and Nathaniel into their familial bosoms?'

I nodded. 'It went really well.'

'But a menage-a-trois is more acceptable than our larger arrangement.'

I had a clue, at last, where he was going with his case of nerves. 'Are you worried about how Micah will introduce you to his family?'

He gave that graceful Gallic shrug that meant everything and nothing.

I went to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, and he put his arms around my shoulders. I gazed up at him and smiled. 'I think the fact that you're worried about Micah and his family is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard you say.'